


A Vengeful Beast

by cracklesnaple



Series: the fall of a hero [7]
Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: ...., Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, BAMF TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), Blood, Blood Loss, Blood and Gore, Blood and Injury, Exiled TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), Gen, Gods, Minecraft Realism, Near Death Experiences, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Panic Attacks, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, TommyInnit Angst (Video Blogging RPF), Violence, im so happy that's a tag, yeah there's a major battle scene in this
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-25
Updated: 2020-12-25
Packaged: 2021-03-11 02:28:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,194
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28257684
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cracklesnaple/pseuds/cracklesnaple
Summary: As Tommy’s training starts, he soon discovers that learning how to properly wield a bow is the least he has to worry about. Suddenly learning that a familiar madman is on his trail certainly doesn’t make his life easier. All in all, Tommy’s ready for some peace and quiet already.(!! this work is part of a series!!)
Relationships: Jordan Maron & TommyInnit, Ranboo & TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), shippers don't even look at this fic
Series: the fall of a hero [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2036035
Comments: 15
Kudos: 290





	A Vengeful Beast

**Author's Note:**

> remember: the dsmp is a roleplay and all the cc's are playing characters and this fic is about the portrayal of those characters! 
> 
> Another long one for you guys!! Hope you enjoy! <3
> 
> [playlist for the fic ](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4zcWofQLfmQDQ2lYklN8RU?si=qyXiBndGQsmfeXR5ng1Uvw)

_The goddess has been alone for the better part of her immortal life. It makes sense, one of her domains is isolation so it comes with the job description. Most mortal beings prefer to believe that gods and higher deities don’t experience emotions, but they were wrong. When it comes to emotions, gods feel them more powerfully and more intimately than any mortal could ever, but only when it fell under their dominion. In her case, she knows the heart wrenching feeling of loneliness like the back of her hand, understands the burning need for revenge and justice when she is wronged, and constantly sees the wonder in the worlds._

_It’s truly no surprise when she finds her new champion. She hasn’t had one in so long, has spent the last countless years floating in her own oblivion. Usually she knows ahead of time when a mortal has the potential to be claimed by her. She would watch them as they grew up, faced their challenges and proved whether or not they were worried._

_Her newest champion, though, did not follow these rules. She laughs about it now, after she has gotten the chance to really observe the little one, and knows he would be proud to know he’s the exception even for gods. He wasn’t born with the fate that he might one day be her champion, instead, he was forced to suffer and fight until his cries grew loud enough that she heard them._

_She tries not to get too attached. It’s a lesson she learned so long ago and a millennium has passed since she made the same mistake. But, as she gazes down at the boy, such a tiny creature deemed insignificant by others of her kind, she finds it difficult to tide the rise of love in her heart._

_She watches as this boy who’s so, so young, too young to be as broken as he is, and knows what she has to do. The boy’s life has not been easy, not in the slightest, and claiming him as her own will not lessen the weight on his shoulders, but it will give him a purpose. Right now, he wanders, lost and alone as he deals with the heavy weight of betrayal. With her guidance, she can lead him to the peaceful life his heart yearns for._

_“Soon, little one.” Her voice carries throughout the cosmos and her brethren are alerted immediately to her claim. They feel for the young creature, as much as beings like them could. The life of a champion is not for the faint of heart. It’s a dangerous life before, during, and after the fact._

_Her champion talks with a man she used to know, lifetimes ago and a smile comes to her lips. She knows the captain will be a good influence on the boy who is in desperate need for someone he can trust, someone who hasn’t already played a part in the breaking of his heart._

_He reminds her so, so much of her last champion and, even though she is a goddess and there is nothing above her, she prays that he will not meet the same fate. They both feel so much all the time and she knows how that can wear on someone, especially when there’s no one there to help shoulder the burden. Her little champion has such a bright personality but is surrounded by people who wish to snuff out his fire._

_Clara would be damned if she let another mortal harm what was hers._

Tommy’s back met the back of the practice mat with a hard thud, sending shockwaves throughout his body. “Fuck.” He cursed painfully. The feeling wasn’t unfamiliar, he had been sparring with Jordan - who he had learned was also a captain? Tommy wasn’t sure how that worked so he didn’t think too hard on it - since the early morning and the sun was past halfway in the sky by now.

It had been close to a week since the man took him in and vowed to train him. Jordan hadn’t gone back on his word, not by a bit, but he did decide that he was going to train Tommy in more than just archery. Their training alternated daily; one day for his archery, one day for hand to hand combat, and one for sword skills. Tommy wouldn’t lie and say he was utterly exhausted after every day but his mind had quieted since the training started and he finally felt like was heading in the right direction.

“What have I told you about your feet?” The captain reprimanded though he offered a hand to the fallen boy to help him up. Tommy grabbed it with more force than he needed to and hauled himself up.

“That they’re too far apart. Yeah I know,” Tommy grumbled in annoyance. Even though it had been only a few days since he started training, his muscles screamed at him nonstop. “I’m not deaf, bitch, you don’t need to keep repeating it!”

Tommy’s legs crumbled underneath them and he fell back onto the ground with a loud yelp. Above him, Jordan seemed far too pleased by the sneak attack.

“Could’ve fooled me. If you’re not deaf maybe try actually doing what I tell you?”

“Fuck you,” Tommy spat in return, though there was no real malice in his voice. The boy had thought himself to be relatively good at hand to hand combat, definitely not the best but decent enough, but Jordan was proving him very wrong. Not only was the man build like a fucking mountain, he was talented enough in every area of combat to go toe to toe with even Technoblade himself.

“Could you please stop swearing?” That had been a constant struggle between the two of them. Unlike Tommy, the captain blatantly refused to swear and was always getting on his case about it. It reminded Tommy a little of Bad before he got exiled but he tried not to think about that.

“Make me, bitch,” he taunted in return and climbed back to his feet. The two got back into position, this time Tommy paid extra attention to his foot placement and made sure they were shoulder width apart. His knees were bent slightly, just enough to make sure they wouldn’t lock up, and his arms were out in front of him, fists clenched.

Their training lasted for a few more hours, an occasional break thrown in here and there when Tommy could barely feel his muscles. Despite his entire body screaming out in pain every time he so much as breathed, Tommy welcomed it. The pain was different from the persistent ache of an arrow wound or the burns of an explosion and the boy was grateful for the drastic difference.

They returned back to the house just as the sun began to set over the horizon. The evening is quiet, like most nights. Tommy had learned to find solace in the quiet in his first weeks of his banishment and tonight was no different. In the quiet, as they watched the town slowly pack up for the night, Jordan told Tommy stories of his past.

The stories started off light, mostly just the man reminiscing about old friends and the adventures they’d go on, but he told Tommy a new one that night. In this, Jordan had just left his home to set sail for a different world, a different adventure. He didn’t have a destination in sights and was content to let his ship guide him - Tommy was starting to understand why most people referred to the man simply as ‘Captain’ or ‘the captain.’

Tommy is told of Jordan meeting a zombie hybrid with too much energy and a thirst for chaos. Of a young couple determined to see the good in the world and an ancient fight between three gods. Tommy couldn’t help but think about how familiar the story sounded, how the boy could compare it to his own life. The captain sat in a leather armchair, gaze unfocused as he remembered his past.

Jordan told him how he discovered that he was a champion of a goddess who had been locked away and left to fade from the world. How he had gone to the ends of the world for his lady until she was returned safely to her rightful place. As the captain spoke, Jordan could hear the old pain in his voice and began to think that maybe nothing good truly ever happened to heroes.

“You’re a World Walker?” Tommy asked once the story is over. It ended on a vague note, leading the boy to assume the captain’s past love had died for good with no hope of a respawn and that there was more to the story. Much, much more.

He got a nod in response and Tommy thought about his father, the only other World Walker he knew. World Walkers were usually old beings, half immortal humans and hybrids that have either traveled through worlds out of their own powers or at the whim of a god. Phil never told him much about his abilities so Tommy wasn’t sure exactly how they worked, but he’d guess no one did.

The night was somber after that, both young and old caught up in their past with far too much weight on their shoulders. It seemed as if the melancholy mood followed them for the rest of the week, evident in Tommy’s sloppy shooting during archery training and Jordan’s slightly slower speech. A couple of the locals attempted to cheer the pair up with treats from the bakery or, in Tommy’s case, the offer to accompany one of the guards on patrol. The boy readily agreed to that, his body itching for a real fight that wasn’t just training.

“You’re leaning too back still,” Jordan notified him from beside him. Tommy held his bow in both hands, an arrow notched and ready to let fly, a target meters in front of him. It was another day for archery training (the days Tommy secretly looked forward to the most) and sweat glistened across his brow from the unforgiving sun. There had been a terrifying moment when training first started a couple weeks ago where Jordan had tried to pick his bow up only for Tommy to have a mini freak out. Tommy had been forced to tell Jordan about his status as a champion after that when he couldn’t think of a good enough lie as to why his bow poisoned anyone who wasn’t him.

“Oh my god,” Tommy groaned, annoyed at the constant interruptions. “If you mess me up one more time, old man, I swe-”

_“Tommy!”_

The sudden whisper jolted him so bad that he lost his grip on the bow and the arrow went flying. Both of the men ducked instinctively even though the arrow was going in the other direction. Luckily, the projectile had hit a post in the nearby building and no one got hurt. The owner of said store was rightfully shaken up but that was it.

Jordan twirled around to him, concern dotted his complexion but Tommy was too busy scrambling for a response.

 _“Yes? What happened? Is everyone okay?”_ The whisper sounded rushed to his own ears but he couldn’t quell the terror quickly consuming his mind. It had been so long since anyone had whispered to him and Tommy was starting to think they had forgotten about him. But now, with the frantic voice of one of his only friends, the boy felt as if he were suddenly back in a fresh L’Manburg, watching as a tyrant exiled him and his brother from their home.

 _“Oh thank the Creator.”_ Ranboo sent back and Tommy heard the relief in his voice. _“Dream just left to find you.”_

The bow in Tommy’s hand clattered to the ground as ice spread up his limbs.

_“What?”_

_“We don’t know why he decided to go after almost a year of you being gone but you need to know.”_

Tommy could barely think at this point, his hands were shaking and sweat coated his palms. There were hands on his shoulders but he could barely feel the extra weight. There was something in his chest, something that burned and stopped his breaths in their tracks.

_“When did he leave?”_

The response only took a couple seconds but to Tommy it felt like a lifetime. _“About two hours ago. I talked to Tubbo but he doesn’t know why he left either, other than the fact that he wants to find you.”_ Why, why, why, why, why? Why would Dream suddenly be so interested in finding Tommy? He had been gone for the better part of a year and nothing. But suddenly that bastard decided it was time to start tormenting him again. He didn’t understand. Why couldn’t everyone just leave him alone?

 _“Is my family safe? Are you safe?”_ He asked frantically, needing to know the few people left that cared for him were safe and unharmed.

 _“We’re all fine. And we’re not the ones you need to be worried about,”_ Ranboo stressed through the bond. _“Focus on protecting yourself for once, okay? I’m serious,”_ he added when Tommy didn’t say anything, too focused on trying to breathe. _“I know you’re probably far away but who knows what Dream has up his sleeve.”_

Tommy nodded even though Ranboo couldn’t see him. _“I’ll be okay. Thanks for letting me know. Be safe.”_

_“You too.”_

The conversation died off there and Tommy was left reeling from the sudden news. With nothing else to focus on, his mind quickly delved back into panic. His hands scrambled to his chest, trying to free whatever was lodged in his chest. Something sticky coated his hands as he gripped the shaft of an arrow lodged between his ribs. He gasped.

“Get it out, get it out,” he mumbled incoherently, barely wincing when his knees hit hard ground. Or was it water? Tommy couldn’t tell. Suddenly, there was a weight against his arms, keeping him from hurting himself.

“Tommy, there’s nothing there.”

There was someone talking, he could hear them but he couldn’t see them. He glanced around wildly to find the voice but Tommy could only see distantly familiar buildings, a deep black wall towering above him and hazy faces of people standing around him. He pleaded at them, begging even one of them to help him.

“Tommy!” Black and white dots danced across his as he reached out to the people around him. Dark red blood dripped from his outstretched hand. The last thing Tommy remembered was the feeling of hopelessness as he sunk into the water.

Tommy woke with a violent cough, his body trying to expel something even though there was nothing stuck in his throat. He hunched over, silently noting the mattress underneath him and the soft fabric clenched between his fists. Violent pants rushed past his lips and he tried to recall what had happened.

He could vaguely remember practicing with Jordan. It had been going well, despite his body refusing to remember the correct stance, and then it _wasn’t_. Tommy knew Ranboo had messaged him, had told him something important but he couldn’t remember what for the life of him. Nor could he remember what happened after that or as to why he was suddenly waking up in his bed at Jordan’s house.

There was a quiet knock on the door to his room that had his back straightening immediately, and he hurriedly wiped the tears that had spilled out from his coughs. Tommy called out to let Jordan know he could come in and the door opened with a soft click. Worry was etched into the man’s face and Tommy looked away guilty, almost waiting for the man to reprimand him. (Wilbur always used to yell at him whenever Tommy made him worried while in Pogtopia.)

“You’re awake,” Jordan stated, as if that weren’t already obvious but Tommy nodded. “That’s good. I wasn’t sure how long you were gonna be out after that episode.”

“Episode?” Tommy cocked his head. The memory was still fuzzy despite being fully awake now. He could remember a burning pain on his chest and the shocking cold of the lake.

Wait - lake? There weren’t any lakes near the village and Tommy only left the village on hunts or for extra training.

Jordan nodded from where he had set a mug down on the nightstand. “Yeah. Panic attack, and a bad one at that.”

But Tommy would know if he had a panic attack, wouldn’t he? To be fair, his mind was fuzzy but he was usually good at spotting the signs of an attack. They were something he’d had to deal with since the first war with Dream but he rarely let the others know what he was dealing with. Everyone else had their own problems to deal with, there was no way he was going to force his on them as well.

“What happened?”

“I’m not sure.” Jordan shrugged. He was leaning against the wall opposite of the bed and Tommy was grateful for the distance, he wasn’t sure how he would handle someone touching him right now. “Something startled you real bad and it must’ve triggered the attack. You kept scratching at your chest like there was something there and kept repeating, ‘get it out.’ Do you not remember anything?”

Tommy shook his head and reached for the mug. He wasn’t sure what was in the cup but the warmth seeping from it felt comfortable.

“Honestly,” he started after taking a sip of the drink - it was tea. “It all kind of seems like a drea-”

The mug tumbled out of his slack hands, the liquid spilt on the bed sheets and scalded his legs beneath it. Tommy could hear the cup fall to the ground and shatter, along with Jordan’s sudden yelp.

 _“Dream,”_ Tommy hissed angrily, the events of the conversation with Ranboo finally coming back to him. “Fuck. Shit. This isn’t good.” He whipped the blankets off and stood up quickly, disregarding the hot liquid he stepped into and Jordan’s frantic questions. Tommy all but ran to the wardrobe and flung it open, grabbing at his bag and the clothes that were hung up (Jordan had quickly insisted he got a bigger wardrobe no matter how many times Tommy insisted it wasn’t necessary).

“Tommy!” The captain’s loud shout startled Tommy out of his panic and the shirt clutched in his hands fluttered to the ground. Jordan’s dark brown eyes were crinkled, his eyebrows pushed together. He held his hands out towards the boy like he wanted to touch him to help calm him down but knew Tommy wouldn’t appreciate it. “Tommy slow down. What’s wrong? What’s happened?”

Tommy stared at the older man, debating with himself whether he should trust Jordan with even more knowledge about his life. Knowledge is power, this was something Tommy was intimately familiar with. With knowledge came the power to be hurt, and Tommy had been hurt enough. But the man had been nothing but kind and genuine since they found each other and had given him no reason to be untrustworthy.

 _Neither did Dream._ His thoughts mocked at him, but he knew better than to believe them. Dream had shown him and Wilbur his true colors the moment they arrived on the lands and the bastard tried to exile him. Hindsight’s a real bitch, that’s for sure.

A heavy sigh left Tommy’s mouth and he sat back down on the edge of the bed, hands clenched together between his knees. He waited until Jordan sat as well before he skimmed his life since he had arrived in the Dream SMP with his brother. When he got to the duel Tommy had with Dream, Jordan looked at him knowingly and the boy had to tell the rest of his past looking at the floor. He didn’t want to handle the fact that this person, who was basically still a stranger, had seen him in such a vulnerable state.

Obviously, Tommy kept things as light as a child fighting in war after war could be and adamantly left out everything about Pogtopia and the gritty details. He told Jordan just enough that the man would understand why the urge to flee once again took over. After he wrapped up how he was exiled and made his way here, the room was left in silence before Jordan let out a short, small chuckle.

“Well you’ve certainly had quite a life.”

Tommy couldn’t help but laugh at that, amused by the major understatement that was the shit show he called life. “You could say that,” he mused.

“So why decide to tell me this all of the sudden?” the captain asked. “You normally refuse to open up. Which is fine!” he added quickly when Tommy shot him a glare, holding his hands up pacifyingly.

“Because a friend of mine just told me the guy that pushed for my banishment has gone out looking for me,” Tommy answered bitterly, a fresh wave of rage searing through his blood. “I swear to the Creator if I ever see that fucking bastard I’m gonna kill before he knows what hit him.”

Jordan hummed next to him and Tommy got ready for the man to scorn him. The other had never been big on violence unless absolutely necessary. “While I would normally say there are different ways to go about this, that would be pretty hypocritical of me.”

Well, that was a pleasant surprise. Tommy looked at him pointedly, trying to persuade the man to tell him the story behind those words.

Jordan laughed pleasantly and his face twisted into something wistful, the same expression he would get whenever he told Tommy about his past. “Back in my first world we had these competitions every once in a while that we called the ‘Purge.’ It was mostly just a way to let off steam since fighting was illegal any other time, but things tended to get out of hand quite easily. Keep in mind, you had infinite lives in this world so it didn’t matter a whole lot. Anyways, I ended up having the most kills more often than not. I can’t scold you for wanting to kill the man that has tormented and killed you for the better part of half your life if I went on killing sprees just to let off a little steam.”

Tommy stared at the captain in shock for a long time, his mind practically unable to process the fact that this man, the man who would constantly get on his case every time he swore and never had the heart to tell the baker he was allergic to strawberries, would willingly go on killing sprees. A loud, deep laugh escaped his throat and he clutched his stomach as his eyes watered. “Oh man,” Tommy wheezed, his earlier panic forgotten about for now. “I didn’t know you had it in you! You’d fit in perfectly with my family with that attitude!” Tommy playfully shoved the older man with his shoulder and laughed more when his response was just an exaggerated eye roll.

“That was almost a century ago, okay?” Jordan defended himself as Tommy wheezed next to him. “I’m a changed man.

“A changed man!” Tommy gasped out in between chuckles and stared at Jordan in disbelief. “You willingly beat up a child every day! You can’t say shit about being a ‘changed man!’”

“Hey!” Jordan protested. “That’s different! That’s called training!”

“Call it whatever you want, old man, that doesn’t change anything, you psychopath!”

Even though the pressing urge to flee invaded all of Tommy’s senses, he resigned himself to staying with Jordan for a few more weeks. Rationally, he knew that Dream had no chance of catching up to him so quickly, Tommy had more than a year’s head start on the man, but the overwhelming panic he felt did not lessen.

Jordan pushed him even more during training and they now worked long into the night. If Tommy thought his muscles hurt the first few weeks, it was nothing compared to what he felt now. He didn’t let the pain stop him, though. Tommy knew he couldn’t afford to slack off, he had years of practice to cram into a couple days. Plus, he had felt worse than a few sore muscles.

Feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, torso straight, slightly bent towards the arrow, head straight, elbow parallel with the ground. Tommy had memorized the stance for his bow in the days after his panic attack and Jordan finally stopped harassing him about it. Once Tommy’s arrows always found their mark in the very center of its target, Jordan told him he was ready to go with him on a real adventure.

According to Jordan, this was because of minor excursions around the village that led to some of the locals going missing or not coming back at all. The townspeople were starting to get worried, Tommy could tell from their tense postures and their attitudes had become solemn instead of cheerful. Jordan told the boy that there had been a few whispers and rumors of a kingdom close to here that had been corrupted into something evil.

Tommy was more than ecstatic to finally be able to leave the small village. The only time he was able to escape the suffocating optimism of the village were the rare moments when Tommy was invited to basic hunts. After constantly being on the move for months it was hard being so stagnant. Both of the suited up, Tommy made sure his crown was secure on top of his head, his sword - new runes inscribed onto its hilt - was sheathed to his side, his bow and quiver were both slung around his shoulders and Wilbur’s coat was tugged close to his body.

Jordan was as decked out as Tommy had ever seen the man. Similar to Tommy, he had a bow and quiver strapped to his back - his was a deep purple color and the man seemed strangely attached to it - with a longsword sheathed to his thigh. He had replaced his long coat for something shorter but just as gaudy and unbelievably red. Tommy had quipped that the bad guys would be able to see them before they did.

All things considered, the trek didn’t take that long until the pair stumbled upon a decrepit looking building. It was nestled in a thick of trees meaning Tommy hadn’t noticed it until they were feet away from its gates. There was a thick layer of rust coating the iron gates and it took Jordan kicking them for them to wring open with a piercing creak. The sudden sound in the otherwise still forest scattered the birds who squawked as they flew away.

The two walked side by side into the courtyard. Vines climbed up every inch of stone in sight, the weeds being the only color in the otherwise grayscale area. There was a tree growing between a broken wall to the left and rocks were sprawled out across the ground, obviously having crumbled off the exterior.

“What is this place?” Tommy whispered to Jordan. The man’s face seemed paler than usual, his knuckles white where they gripped his sword and Tommy felt a wave of unease climb up his throat. If this was enough to shake Jordan, he should definitely be worried.

“It’s a stronghold.” the words were clipped and thick, as if Jordan struggled to let them out of his throat. “I didn’t think there was one so close to the village.” Tommy could hear the captain murmur under his breath and, if this place hadn’t been so eerily quiet, he wouldn’t have been able to hear it. “There shouldn’t be one this close.”

“Jordan?” Tommy knocked their elbows together, hoping to catch the man’s attention. “What’s wrong? Why are you freaking out?”

The man shook his head, black hair falling from where it was pulled back. “I shouldn’t have brought you.”

“What the fuck does that mean?”

“It means,” Jordan glared at Tommy, the quick action pulling a flinch from the younger boy and he took a step back. “Someone’s been messing with this world and I just brought a kid right in the middle of it!”

When Jordan didn’t say anything else, Tommy fought back. “Listen, I know you’re old and everything but I didn’t know you were losing it as well! How about you give me a straight answer!”

Tommy watched as the other man started to pace around the courtyard. “The nearest stronghold is supposed to be more than a thousand blocks away, I checked the first day I arrived here. There’s no way there’s one this close to the village unless someone’s messing with the world.”

“I don’t understand.” Tommy shook his head. “Why is this such a big deal? It’s just a building!”

“A stronghold holds the entrance to the End, Tommy.”

“No fucking way,” he denied, stepping back. Tommy stumbled slightly as his foot slipped on a loose piece of rock. Jordan stayed quiet and the boy knew he wasn’t joking. Shit. “Aren’t these things supposed to be extremely rare? Not to mention protected?”

“They are. Which is why it doesn’t make sense that there’s one not even two hundred blocks from the village. Or why nobody noticed it before now.”

“Can’t we just leave, then?” Tommy asked but, just as the final words left his mouth, a grating noise filled the forest. Both of them twirled around, Tommy’s hands found the body of his bow and he was about to pull it off when he noticed they were still alone. The iron gates Jordan had kicked in were now firmly shut, the rust melding back together until it looked like they had never been opened in the first place.

“Well, fuck,” Tommy swore and a pit of dread settled in his stomach. “That’s a dick move.”

Tommy watched while Jordan tried to pry the gates open again, but this time they seemed more stuck than before. His kicks barely cause the iron to tremble, let along open. Jordan suggested they split up to search around the fence to see if they can find another way to get out that won’t involve climbing up the fence.

As Tommy walked, the sun seemed to set faster and the already moody lighting dims drastically, leaving the boy stumbling from the low light. He peered around him as he walked, only able to see a few feet in front of him but, by the time he was stumbling back into Jordan, neither of them had found another way out.

“It’s either up or through now,” Tommy mused to the captain. “Aren’t these portals like a mob magnet though? Wouldn’t it be dangerous to leave it here when it’s so close to the town?”

Tommy knew a little bit about the End and the portals said to lead to the realm. His father had told him bits and pieces about the strange world from his travels before he adopted Technoblade. It was a dead world, according to Phil. The realm had once been alive, millennia ago before humans walked the worlds, and it was home to a thriving population. The citizens of the End were extraordinary architects, the likes of which the human world hadn’t, and probably would never, see.

According to the legends and Phil’s stories, the world had suffered a catastrophe. No one knew what this event was, not even legends could make up something so horrifying that would rip apart an entire realm until all that was left were ashes of a once great civilization. They said that a great beast controlled by greed and the overwhelming lust for control had seized the opportunity when the realm was at its weakest. This beast took control of the remaining population, turning them into husks of what they used to be and they were cursed with loneliness for the rest of their lives, never able to look upon another being. All the while, the great beast still held the realm within its grasps.

Tommy hated the story of the End, disgusted at the idea that something could want power so much they were willing to enslave an entire civilization for it. Maybe that was why his hatred for Dream held no bounds. A man who was willing to tear down children and manipulate “friends” was one corrupted by hubris and power. Tommy’s skin crawled at the reminder, his champion mark pulsed on his wrist, as if his goddess was agreeing with him.

“You go back to the village and I’ll deal with this,” Jordan replied after a moment of hesitation. The words sparked indignation within Tommy and he couldn’t hold back the vicious glare he sent to the man.

“I’m not a fucking coward!” He shouted, his voice was tinged with ferocity. Even the idea of backing down from a fight had his hackles raised, especially when there was a village full of good people at stake. Tommy wasn’t sure if it was his own experiences constantly being thrown into war to fight for other people or the influences of his goddess that made his desire for justice more potent than it used to be. “You’ve been training me for a month now! If I can’t even help with this, how am I supposed to defeat Dream?”

Jordan folded his hands in front of his face, his pale skin stood out amongst the shadows that had fallen over the area and Tommy could hear the man’s heavy sigh. A crow cawed in the distance and bats swooped down from the sky, only to be scared away when Tommy shifted on his feet.

“The End isn’t a place for kids,” the captain said at last and Tommy scoffed.

“And I haven’t been a kid since I was forced to be a soldier when I was fifteen.”

“Fine!” Jordan threw his hands up, his words were clipped but Tommy only felt a surge of victory. He would’ve followed Jordan into the stronghold regardless of what the man said, but this way was much easier. “But you have to promise me you’ll be careful.”

“Careful’s my middle name,” Tommy lied and Jordan obviously was not fooled by his bullshit. He groaned dramatically, holding out his pinky finger to the man. “I promise.”

Jordan’s lips quirked up at the action, his eyes crinkling near the corners and Tommy knew that meant he found whatever he did amusing. But, the man wrapped his pinky around his and dipped his head, grateful for the compliance.

With that, Tommy followed Jordan through thick wooden doors and into the front of the stronghold. Rotted wood littered the ground and it splintered underneath their boots. The smell that permeated the air was almost too much for Tommy, even trying to block it with his sleeve did nothing. He almost gagged at the animal corpses that were strewn about, half rotting flesh attracted a swarm of flies, their buzzing overtook the entire area.

Silence, broken only by the trilling of the insects and the occasional caw of a bird, filled the air around them, both travelers making sure to keep their steps light and breaths quiet. The deeper they descended, the darker the rooms got and the larger their shadows got. Mobs lurked in every corner and darkened room but they were able to take them out easily, skeletons and zombies burnt into ash by Jordan’s sword and creepers were shot down before they could explode by Tommy’s bow. They slayed the occasional enderman that wandered into their path, Jordan citing that their pearls would be useful later.

It felt like hours before they stumbled upon what Jordan called the ‘portal room.’ From the name, Tommy had been expecting something a lot more grand than it actually was. Crumbling and moss-filled stones surrounded the portal, the bubbling of lava from the sides of the room kept the cold away. In the middle of the room, there were rickety stairs leading up to a square of a yellowish-white material topped in what seemed to be dark blue holders. There were openings along the entire structure, twelve in total, and the middle of the portal was hollow.

A draft blew along his hair, twisting the edges of the strands - Tommy hadn’t been able to cut his hair in quite a while so it was starting to reach towards his chin. “Well this isn’t fucking ominous at all,” the boy quipped. He fidgeted from foot to foot, not sure what to do now that they had gotten this far. Jordan, thankfully, did seem to have some understanding of the inner workings of the portal as he fished out the handful of Ender Pearls they had collected on their way down.

“I think I have some,” Jordan trailed off, his voice soft as he rummaged through his bag before letting out a triumphant shout and held up a handful of what seemed to be yellow fire sticks.

“How the hell did you get blaze rods?” Tommy was handed the stack of pearls while Jordan kneeled down and spread the rods out across the ground.

“I think I left them there after my last trip to the nether. It doesn’t really matter, I’m just glad we had some or this would’ve been for nothing.” While he spoke, the captain unsheathed the sword strapped to his hip and crushed the blaze robs underneath its hilt. A sudden burst of heat swirled around the room and Tommy was surprised to see the thinly granulated pieces left over. He had never been big on making potions or anything of that sort (that was always Wilbur’s area of expertise) so he hadn’t realized how easy it was to break blaze rods open.

Thin dust coated a large area now but Jordan scooped up a handful of it from the pile of powder. He gestured for Tommy to hold out an ender pearl, which he did. When he did, a bright flash erupted from the items and the boy could see them merge together until the pearl became noticeably heavier in his hand and had changed from a deep purple and black material to a glassy one. To say Tommy was unnerved would be an understatement. Looking back up at him was a slitted black pupil surrounded by a light green coloring that slowly faded into a dark blue near the edges. Tommy had no idea how mixing blaze powder and ender pearls would create this eye looking thing, but the boy was not going to question it. They repeated that process eleven more times until they had enough eyes to fill in all the slots on the portal.

“Wanna do the honors?”

Tommy grinned, a touch of his normal mania coated the edges of it. He felt like he did during those first few weeks of the original war for L’Manburg’s independence. The times when Tommy felt invincible and drunk off adrenaline. (He refused to think about how all those feelings were quickly crushed by Dream when he shot an arrow aimed straight for his heart - taking his first light from him far too early.)

“Abso-fucking-lutely.” With quick fingers, he inserted the newly made eyes into each of the slots and a mechanism sprung to life that gripped them in order to make sure they wouldn’t fall out. Tommy was surprised the mechanism still worked, in all honesty, with how long this stronghold must be. As he placed the final eye in, a sharp ringing sounded throughout the entire structure and had Tommy flinching away from the portal. A sharp draft kicked up the remaining blaze powder and they both had to cover their faces to make sure none of the toxic substance got into their bodies.

“Well, that was pleasant,” Jordan coughed once the powder had settled again. “I’ll go in first,” he declared, leaving no room for Tommy to disagree. Tommy watched as the man walked up the stairs, hesitated, and then jumped into the swirling vortex of the night sky.

Anxiety crawled throughout his skin and Tommy was suddenly hit with the panic he had been pushing down since Jordan told him what the stronghold really was. Even with years of fighting behind him, the boy didn’t believe he had the skills necessary to defeat the vengeful beast said to hold the realm.

 _“You’ll do well, little one.”_ What he now recognized as his goddess’ voice assured him and the mark pulsed again, sending warmth across his nerves. _“Trust in yourself.”_

Tommy scoffed bitterly and resisted rolling his eyes. “Easier said than done.” He let himself breath for a moment, mentally preparing himself for anything on the other side of that portal. “Here goes nothing,” he said before letting himself fall into the portal.

Gravity crushed Tommy the moments he landed on the other side of the portal and he stumbled to his knees harshly.

“Careful!” a voice exclaimed and Tommy recognized it as Jordan’s. He struggled to his feet, clutching the string of his bow from where it was wrapped around his body. Somehow, Jordan looked at home in the void realm. His dark hair blended in with the surrounding blackness and his skin was only a slight shade darker than the stone surrounding their obsidian platform. The man didn’t even look phased by the new world, though, Tommy guessed, this wasn’t Jordan’s first time encountering this world according to the man’s stories.

They seemed to have spawned in the middle of a hill, white stone curved around them on all sides. In the distance, massive towers of obsidian loomed above them and Tommy could see what looked like a pink light on top of each of them. The consistent flap of wings were almost drowned out by the echoing screeches of mindless enderman. A giant shadow passed over the pair and Tommy instinctively crouched though the beast was far up in the sky and hadn’t come close to touching them.

The best, nicknamed the Ender Dragon by the ancient scholars, was a giant winged creature. Its wings spanned easily more than twenty blocks wide and its body was as thick as the tallest spruce trees that used to grow in the Antarctic Empire. Tommy thought that the legends definitely didn’t do it justice and the boy was weak kneed at the prospect of fighting it.

A sharp burn speared his head, making Tommy gasp suddenly and pitch forward, only for Jordan to steady him. Images flowed into his brain of a sprawling city of purple and white. Towering buildings and creations that made no sense to his mortal mind. Of the endermen before they were subjected to the dragon’s control, content and free. Tommy saw knowledge that no mortal being should have discovered and the greed for that knowledge eventually led to the entire realm’s downfall. Tommy was shoved back to the present as suddenly as he had been yanked into the memories. (He wasn’t sure who’s memories they were exactly, just knew that that’s what they were.)

“I know!” Tommy grunted, rubbing his throbbing head with stiff movements. “A guy’s allowed to be nervous!”

Jordan was looking at him, his dark brows raised and a bemused smile plastered on his lips. “I’m guessing your god’s not happy about us stalling?”

“Goddess, and most certainly not.”

“Then let's get going.”

Jordan instructed Tommy to try and shoot the tops of the towers, informing the boy that there was a sort of crystal on top of them that healed the dragon, rendering it basically invincible. As Jordan moved out of the hill and close to the center of the large island where there was a weird pillar made out of bedrock, Tommy doubled back, staying as far away from the ledge as he could while also making sure he had enough range to hit the tips of the towers. Tommy kept his eyes low, not wanting to risk angering the hoard of endermen that teleported back and forth.

His bow gleamed in the low light, a pulsating purple glow that managed to calm his nerves as he cocked an arrow and settled into a stance. Feet shoulder-width apart, torso straight back but turned towards the arrow, chin raised only slightly, forearm parallel with the ground. A deep breath settled into his lungs and, as he breathed out, Tommy let the arrow fly. There was a rippling explosion that ricocheted off the void, making it louder than it was and was accompanied by a guttural roar of the dragon.

Tommy ran quickly, ditching that spot as the dragon honed in on him. The boy heard as the beast sucked in a large breath of stale air before releasing it. Purple erupted around him and whatever it exhaled wrapped around his ankle before he could make it to safety. A cry tore its way out of his throat, his skin burning and bubbling from the poisonous breath.

“Tommy!” He heard Jordan cry from a ways off but he didn’t have time to respond to the man. Tommy rolled away from the remnants of the toxic purple breath and darted back to his feet. The muscles in his leg screamed at him and the pain bordered on unbearable but he had dealt with being shot straight through the heart, he could deal with this.

Another arrow was cocked and aimed towards the belly of the beast. With little time to prepare the shot, Tommy let the arrow go. It struck its target with another ear-shattering roar that rattled the island they were stuck on. Another arrow struck its eye and the beast set its sights on Jordan, leaving Tommy with the opportunity to destroy the crystals. He made quick work of the shorter pillars, the iron cage surrounding the floating crystal proved to be a bit difficult but Tommy was able to figure out how to get by them.

Jordan positioned himself in the center of the bedrock pillar, his sword surrounded by flames as a rune burned red hot into it. Tommy allowed himself only a second to make sure the man was okay as he swung at the dragon whenever it got close to the ground. It seemed that the beast could only stay in the air for a limited amount of time before it had to rest, which left it vulnerable for attack and Jordan was taking advantage of that.

There were only the four extremely tall towers left until the dragon would stop regening. Arrows littered the stone ground from Tommy’s attempt to reach the highest crystals, to no avail. Hesitantly, Tommy stationed himself on the very edge of the island, hoping it would give him enough room for his arrows to reach the top. As three explosions sounded for three arrows, his plan definitely worked out. The dragon’s wings flapped erratically as it tried to stay in the air away from Jordan’s swipes. As he shot the final arrow, he locked eyes with an enderman. The creature unhinged its jaw, mouth opening terrifyingly wide as its harrying cry resounded through the platform.

“Shit.” Tommy cursed and fumbled with the bow, the smooth wood slipped through his sweat-slick palms. The next arrow hit the stone blocks away from the creature and it gave him no time to ready another as it teleported right in front of him. His foot slid off the stone and he pinwheeled his arms to steady himself but the enderman struck him, it’s touch sending a shockwave of lightning through his system. Tommy’s muscles stiffened and, without the resistance, his body slipped off the edge. He barely had enough time to scream before he was falling into the void.

Jordan’s cry reached his ear as he fell, blackness filling up his vision. The bow slipped out his hands and Tommy mourned losing it even as he was about to die. Just as he closed his eyes, only slightly angry with himself that he hadn’t killed Dream before dying permanently, a hand gripped his wrist. The bone in his shoulder instantly popped out of place as the movement was harsh against his fast falling body. Tommy hissed through his teeth as the pain spread through his nerves.

Ever the true hero, the captain stared down at him, fear coursing through his expression as he hauled Tommy up. Through the haze of pain, Tommy could tell they were on one of the smaller islands that had broken off from the main one.

“How the fuck did you even manage that?” Tommy gasped out. He was settled on his knees, his good arm cradling the one that now refused to move. This was really turning out to be quite a hassle of a fight.

Jordan held up an ender pearl, its purple magic sparked around it, casting a soft glow against the man’s face. “Always keep a few spare on me.”

Tommy chuckled weakly, his heart still pounding in his throat. “Lucky for me, I guess.”

“How’d your crown stay on?”

Now that the man mentioned it, Tommy still could feel the weight of his brother’s crown atop his head. The boy was only slightly surprised that it hadn’t fallen off like his bow, but he figured it was some magic bullshit Technoblade had done to it. Either way, Tommy wasn’t about to complain.

“If I had to take a guess,” Tommy started with a pained grunt when he tried to roll his dislocated shoulder. “I’d say magic. Now come help me with my shoulder.” Tommy let Jordan place both his hands on his bad arm, bracing his other arm against the jagged stone. Jordan counted to three before pushing the bone back into place.

“Fuck!” A few shrill shrieks from nearby enderman responded to Tommy’s loud curse. Harsh breaths fell from his mouth as the quick bite of pain faded into memory. He rolled his shoulder, relishing in the lack of discomfort. “Thanks. Now how are we gonna make it back to the main island?” Tommy climbed back to his feet, the throbbing agony of his ankle suddenly making itself known as he shifted his weight onto his bad leg.

Jordan noticed the boy’s discomfort but, thankfully, didn’t say anything. He wrapped an arm around Tommy’s waist, ignoring his indignant shout, and flung another ender pearl onto the large island. The dragon had fallen onto the pillar, purple blood leaked from her wounds, deep gasping breaths could be heard over the screeches of the enderman. Tommy saw the exhaustion and pain littering her scaled face and almost felt bad, but the knowledge of all this creature had done quickly dampened any empathy he felt.

“It’s almost down,” Jordan informed him as they steadied themselves. “You managed to hit the last crystal before you fell so it can’t heal anymore.”

Tommy smirked, teeth gleaming with a purple glow from the enderman surrounding them. “Perfect. Let’s kill this bitch already.” He reached for his bow in a lapse of memory and cursed himself for letting it go so carelessly, he just hoped his goddess wouldn’t be too upset with him.

Tommy followed Jordan, unsheathing his sword. The dragon’s roar when it caught sight of them rippled throughout the void and Tommy could feel the shockwave from it slightly push him off course. With a harsh flap of its wings, the best took off into the air once more, officially out of reach for Tommy without his bow. Luckily, Jordan still had his and made quick work equipping his rich purple weapon, arrow already notched and flying before Tommy could get a hit on the dragon.

It stumbled, skeletal wings flailing from the hit to its throat as it tried to steady itself in the air. Unable to right itself, the behemoth careened into the stone island, sending a tidal wave of loose stone and furious enderman flying. Both Jordan and Tommy were lurched apart and he could feel shards of end stone imbed themselves into the palms of his hands and his knees as he skidded to the ground.

While the creature was dazed and heaving, Tommy took the opportunity to shove his sword through its chest, hoping he had pierced its heart. The dragon roared, a clawed hand swiped back at him and the sharpened talon sliced the skin of his stomach. Blood welled up immediately, coating the fabric of his shirt.

Tommy watched in fascination as the dragon finally slumped to the ground, the purple haze that had emanated from it flickered before it disappeared entirely. The void realm seemed eerily quiet without the beats of the dragons wings and the chattering of the endermen. He stumbled to the ground, his mind had caught up on the laceration on his stomach. His arm cupped the clash, wanting to stop the blood from flowing out but he could feel his sleeves dampen.

Jordan heaved the boy back to his feet despite Tommy’s struggles to stay still. “We have to hurry. That needs stitches, and fast.” Tommy groaned as they fell through the portal and the rooms started to spin around him. He had to lean fully on Jordan otherwise he’d fall and he knew if he didn’t he wouldn’t be getting back up.

Blood dripped from the wound, leaving an obvious trail. As soon as they made it outside of the stronghold, Tommy had to close his eyes because his eyes hadn’t adjusted to the sun and he tripped on a loose piece of stone. Jordan jerked him back up quickly, giving him no time to rest before they were practically jogging through the forest. His heart rate was in his throat, pulsing quicker than he’d ever felt it before, even when in the thick of battle. With the arm that wasn’t wrapped around his wound, he grabbed onto Jordan’s coat weakly, and a buzzing feeling spread throughout his fingers, making it hard to feel them.

“Shit, shit, shit,” Jordan cursed underneath his breath and was drowned out by the ringing in Tommy’s ears. As black dots spread across his vision, the boy could make out the gates of the village and breathed a sigh of relief. He felt his eyes droop again as Jordan rushed them to the medics building (he’d been a frequent resident there since he started training) but the man was quick to shake him awake.

“Don’t fall asleep,” Jordan urged, knocking aggressively against the door. It was the middle of the day but Tommy could barely hear anyone in the town, he wondered what was going on. Why couldn’t he sleep? He was so tired. He heard the door open and panicked voices but the words jumbled together.

“He needs stitches right now, he’s going into shock.” Tommy could feel someone moving his body until he hit cold metal. The sudden stimulation proved to be too much for his nerves as black covered his eyes and all he saw was Jordan’s panicked face before he passed out.

**Author's Note:**

> Yeah, a slight doozy of a chapter, am I right? Tommy is not having a great time right now, but when is he ever. This fic is a little over 20 pages in my drafts and I honestly don't know how I wrote it so quick! I'm gonna go out on a limb and say the next couple parts are gonna be about the same length as this because things are slowly coming to an end! 
> 
> Happy Holidays to all who celebrate one or another! I hope you all had fantastic holidays or are having a great break from school if you don't celebrate anything! I was gonna surprise you guys with the first chapter of a new fic but, the more I wrote for it, the more I hated it so this is what you guys get. I'm sorry, hopefully I'll be able to make it better. :(
> 
> The idea that the goddess would be Clara was suggested by PleasantLullaby in the comments and I loved it too much so I added it!
> 
> Anyways! I really hope you guys liked this newest part, let me know your thoughts in the comments! 
> 
> Love you guys! <3 [twitter](https://twitter.com/cracklesnapple1)


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